Total pages in book: 22
Estimated words: 20305 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 102(@200wpm)___ 81(@250wpm)___ 68(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 20305 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 102(@200wpm)___ 81(@250wpm)___ 68(@300wpm)
“Girls!” I call out. “I need everybody out now. Party’s over. I’ve got to go, but I’ll be back soon, and I need the house empty when I get back. I’ll be sending my people over from the office to make sure it’s clear, understand? So call an Uber, call your friend—I don’t care what you do, just make sure you’re leaving now.”
More sighs as I leave out the front door. Someone calls me a party-pooper, but none of that matters right now. I call my security guy from the car as I’m pulling out.
“Yeah, I need you to come by the house and make sure it’s cleared out for me,” I tell him. “I’m on my way to Nikki’s right now, but there are still people at my place. It’s a long story, just make sure they leave and nothing’s stolen, all right? Thanks.”
I hang up and try Nikki again, but again, it goes straight to voicemail. Reed has done some childish things in his life, but this takes the cake. This is pure spite. He never even cared for Nikki; he’s just upset that she and I are together and happy. After this, he won’t be seeing another dime from me for anything.
Nikki’s house has never felt farther away from me. I need her right now. I need to touch her, to hold her, to feel her skin against mine and her body’s warmth. I need to look into her eyes when I tell her what’s happened and that everything is going to be all right. The thought of her lying alone in her room on her bed, thinking I betrayed her—or worse, that I lied to her from the start, is absolutely heartbreaking.
I just want to take her into my arms and fix this situation, but I have to suffer through the drive over to her house, which seems to take forever. By the time I get there, I’m about ready to kick her door down just to get inside. Thankfully, neither of her parents are home, and after knocking and ringing the bell for five minutes, she actually answers. But she does not look happy.
“Just leave me alone, Grant,” she says, glaring at me like she wishes her eyes shot lasers. “I really don’t want to do this.”
“It was Reed,” I say as quickly as I can.
“What? What was Reed?”
“The girls. I had nothing to do with it,” I reply. “I got back from the office, and they were there. Obviously, you came by and saw them, I guess, but the whole thing was Reed.”
Nikki frowns. “Reed? But…why?”
“Because he’s an asshole.”
“But he knows I won’t get back together with him,” she says.
“I don’t think he wants that,” I reply. “I think as long as we aren’t together, that’s enough for him. He’s just being a spiteful prick because he didn’t get you and he didn’t get the car from me.”
I can see that she’s been crying, and that hurts me. I know Reed’s my stepson, and I shouldn’t feel this way about him, but I’d like nothing more right now than to give him a nice smack in the face and send him sprawling. Maybe it would do something for that insane arrogance of his. I doubt it, but maybe.
Nikki glances hesitantly at me. Briefly, I see a flash across her face of something like acceptance. She wants to believe me, but years of living with parents like hers have taught her to guard and protect herself. And I completely understand.
“Nikki,” I say, moving in and dropping to one knee. Her eyes go wide, and her jaw drops. I didn’t even have this planned, but it feels right, so I’m going with it. I take her hand in mine and pull it close.
“I would never lie to you. I want you to know that the first time I ever set eyes on you, I was stunned by your beauty. I wanted to come and talk to you then, give you some cheesy pickup line and take you to dinner, but you were with Reed then so I couldn’t. Only when you two broke up did my whole world begin to shine. Only when you were mine did I truly realize how much I was missing in my life, and I would never jeopardize that for some random girls popping champagne at my house. I would never jeopardize our relationship for anything, Nikki.”
My angel’s face begins to soften. I see tears welling up in her eyes. I’m getting through to her.
“This relationship of ours might be a little unconventional, and I don’t have a ring right at this moment,” I confess. “Because I wasn’t planning on doing this. But, Nikki, will you make me the happiest, luckiest man in the world and marry me?”
Epilogue
Grant
Five Years Later…
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